DUSHANBE, September 15. /TASS/. Over its presidency in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Armenia will pay special attention to the development of the peacekeeping component and strengthening of the CSTO defense, Armenia President Serzh Sargsyan said on Tuesday at an extended meeting of the CSTO summit.

"Such tasks as further improvement of control over the collective security system, including collective regional forces, promptness in taking and implementing decisions, holding joint drills, such as the Opyt-2016 (Experience) exercises due in Armenia, are coming to the fore," he said. "Of great importance is joint effort to develop the system of CSTO crisis management."

The Armenia president stressed that over his country’s presidency in the CSTO "big attention will be also paid to the organization’s peacekeeping component." "It is time to set up a basic organization to train CSTO peacekeepers," Sargsyan said. "We suggest the centre for training Armenian army’s peacekeeping brigade be considered as a base for such organization."

"Our efforts should be rooted in due account of joint liabilities and opinions of the partners," the Armenian president stressed. "Another topical task is to expand CSTO’s cooperation with the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)."

Armenia takes over presidency in the Collective Security Treaty Organization after today’s session of the CSTO Collective Security Council.